Crystal River current. [volume] (Crystal, Colo.) 1886-18??, 1887-07-09

tcomers."
One forenoon in February Ichabod,
with ms younger son Sam by his side,
was riding down the mountain road
in his cutter. Aunt Lyddy had thrown
tin can into the sleigh as they start.
ed, saying, "Stop at the store, Sam,
and get some kerosene" The mare
was swift, q likely-ooking animal
with defect which made her worth
less, but only lchabod knew OF it, and
also a man fifty miles away from
whom he had bought her cheap
reason thereof.
"No chance to get her of on Peleg,"
he thought to himself, "nor on any
one else around here. They wouldn't
buy q horse OF me at any price" and
he chuckled as he remembered how he
had educated that neighborhood in
horselesh and horse trading, and
at what q cost to them and gain to
HIM. II don't see how IL corner in
horses could be fixed up in these parts.
It's 1irst-rate idea, that corner busl-
ness. It's honest, too, according to
James. James says every body in
New York consideres it honest" Then
aloud, Sammy. what was it your
mother wanted?"
"kerosene. l suppose Peleg's got
some. He only gets a barrel at a time;
but il amt likely he'd let himself get
out OF it."
Ichabod had an idea. He pulled up
the mare to q walk, and looked at the
sun and mountain ridge, and hereby
knew that it lacked twenty minutes
and more of being noon; and he knew
also that as regularly as the
sun swung over that peak at mid
day, just SO regularly would
Peleg leave his store and 90 to his
house quarter mile down the road for
dinner. Then he stopped awhile, and
when the mare grew FESTIVE he let her
go, walking slowly, and so, stopping
and walking, when he came in sight
OF the store he saw Peleg's hugh form
coming out and going towards his
house.. Then he drove on, hltched
his horse under the store shed, threw
a blanket over her, went in and fund
George, the clerk in the store.
"Got any kerosene, George?"
eyes, plenty"
elbow much is plenty" and he
walked around the counter with
George and into the back-room where
oils and hams and like merchandise
were kept. George was not brilliant
boy, but quite bright enough fora hon
est lot OF customers. Peleg would not
havesold out to any one his entire stock
OF u useful article, likely to be in daily
demand. But George did not look sc
Tar ahead. There was about II hall
barrel OF the fluid on hand, and Icha.
bod, aided by Sam, hurriedly helped
George draw it Off, gallon by gallon,
and pour it III another barrel, paid
cash for it, got the barrel into the
cutter, and Ill four minutes rolled the
barrel out into the snow q mile from
the village toward the farm. Then
they turned the mare and in five min,
utes more were at Peleg's door, shout
ing till Peleg came out.
Now, without knowing the two men,
and the ways of up-country men in
general, you can hardly Appreciate the
manner in which Ichabod handled hon.
est old peleg, and brought about
the bargain then made. He began:
81 say, Peleg, if you pretend to keep
q store, you ought to keep what peo-
pile want. Here Eve got to drive fiji
teen miles this cold afternoon to the
nearest store there is to get some ker.
osene, Jest be.ause you ain got any"
~ haven't got any? I've got plenty.
How much do you want?" 81 want
four gallons, and George says there
isn't q pint left in your store, and I'd
rather give $40 than go to Railtown,
with this rheumatic in my back. It's
time you knew how to keep a store for a
country like this. You make money
enough TO accommodate people," and
he poured forth q TRADE of abuse. Pc
leg, usually calm, became excited. He
declared over and over again that
there was plenty of kerosene at the
store, and Ichabod denied it and re-
fused to go back with him.
put up your money on it if you
dare said Ichabod. "Fts worth
twenty dollars, making ME go to Rail
town such a day"
know very well, Ichabod; but if you'll
nish you with four gallons of kerosene
I'll give you twenty dollars to hire
any one TO go to Railtown and buy
all that'll buy" "Now, Peleg, l don't
want talk. Here's your money, for
the four gallons. That's business.
Call out Sarah for witness. (Sarah
Hcwland was Peles's sister.) See
here, Sarah. Peleg has sold me four
gallons of kerosene and I've paid for
it, and it's to be delivered to me at
the store right off, and if Peleg don't
deliver it he's to give me twenty dol
lars. That's what he and agree it's
worth to me to send to Railtown to-
day for it, like enough kill q horse,
as damage to me- and Peleg,
you out with your twenty dollars and
put it in Sammy's hands here to car
ry till we get back to the store. !
amt going to have no lawsuit about
it. Business is business
Peleg Rowland knew Ichabod Bailey
thoroughly, and ought to have sus-
pected something wrong. But he was
nettled ut the slur on his store, which,
had been his pride for forty years. He
put two ten-dollar bills into Sans